Volvo Concept Truck slashes fuel consumption by 30 percent

A new concept from Volvo Trucks is said use 30 percent less fuel compared to typical long-haul trucks. Among the features that are said to improve the efficiency of the Volvo Concept Truck are an aerodynamic design and reduced weight.

"We continuously work on developing more energy-efficient vehicles," says president and CEO of Volvo Trucks Claes Nilsson. "Our concept truck showcases the immense power of on-going technical advances."

The concept is the result of a five-year-long research project by Volvo Trucks that was run with support from the Swedish Energy Agency. Volvo Trucks says the ultimate aim is to improve the efficiency of long-haul truck transportation by 50 percent and says that the Concept Truck shows how long-haul transport can be made more productive.

In order to achieve the improved level of fuel consumption, a 40 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency has been made, with changes made to both the tractor and the trailer. The improved aerodynamic design includes the use of cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, optimized chassis side-skirts covering the rear wheels and improved air flow for the engine's cooling system.

Elsewhere, newly-developed tires with lower rolling resistance are used, the trailer weight has been reduced by 2 tonnes (2.2 tons) and improvements have been made to the truck's drivetrain. The truck is powered by a Volvo D13 Euro 6 engine.

The rig was tested on Swedish roads last (northern hemisphere) autumn. It will not be made available to buy, but some of its features have already been introduced on commercially available vehicles from Volvo Trucks and Volvo says more may be fitted in the future.